Africa time

My friend Paul is currently working with children in Tamil Nadu, South India, in schools run by the Church of South India. He has had to get used to India time which runs randomly but inevitably later than our standard linear whitefella time. We in the west are slavishly tied to our clocks from the one that wakes us in the morning to the one that tells us if we'd better be in bed soon or we'll be struggling again in the morning! In India things happen when they happen, not a moment before; and take as long as they need too and sometimes longer.

I have had the frustration each of the last two Fridays of sitting in a doctor's waiting room for up to an hour waiting to have essential vaccinations. I kept telling myself it was good practice for next year when we will have to get used to Africa time.

Patience is not a virtue I have in abundance - my children at school can testify to how quickly it runs out! So for the next 4 months I will be patient, I will be patient, I will be patient, I will be patient ...